Tom Konrad is an Analyst at Alternative Energy Stocks, where he writes about investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency companies. This article is a guest post for Jetson Green.

The December 6 Technology Quarterly from The Economist profiles a Dutch office building that is both heated and cooled using heat (or cold) from the asphalt of the road outside the building, as opposed to the more conventional use of solar thermal panels on the building’s roof. The article optimistically ends:

The result is cheap heating in winter and cheap cooling in summer. And there is a bonus. Summer heating softens asphalt, making it easier for heavy traffic to damage the road surface. Dr de Bondt’s system not only saves electricity, but also saves the road. Expect to see more examples of it, in other countries, soon.

The renderings in this article are of BaleHaus by ModCell. This UK concept springs from the three positions that we need to: (1) live within our environmental means, (2) maintain a healthy and comfortable quality of life, and (3) build strong communities. Stated otherwise, the BaleHaus is meant to provide good, comfortable living with a guilt-free eco-conscience. BaleHaus is super-insulated, boxy and functional, and geared towards communal living. More renderings below …

The original website for this house by Architekt Kuczia is not in english, so here’s a quick synopsis of some of the details: "The construction costs of this simple house were low and the lifecycle costs will be reduced. The built form is designed to optimize the absorbance of solar energy. 80% of the building envelope is directed towards the sun. “Black box”, a three storey structure clad with dark fibre cement panels, is warmed by the sun and offers a view on the lake." Notice the living roof? Via WAN.

AKA Architetti just won an international competition for their development of a single-family home prototype that’s low-energy and very stylish. Their design, pictured above and below, will be commercialized in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, with the first units in Darb, Germany in 2008. The residential prototype calls for eco-friendly materials, photovoltaics on the pitched roof, and energy-saving devices and appliances. The home will be sufficiently roomy at a decent 1,400 sf big, too.

UPDATE 3/16/09 – Urban Core International has gone dark. The website was shut down. If you have any concerns, feel free to contact us.

Aaron Newman, founder and managing partner of Urban Core International, sent me the details of his latest project, Urban Rio. Specifically, Urban Rio is a product of Urban Core's prefab and container division called Envision Prefab. It's easy on the eyes, to say the least, and just so happens to be the first sustainable, affordable, container project in Panama.